Photographic developing-tray.



No. 7l6,598. Patented Dec. 23, I902.- J. N. TOLPA.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING TRAY.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1902.]

(No Model.)

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES NIOOLAUS TOLPA, OF LOW-ELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPING-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,598, dated December23, 1902.

Application filed September 8,1902. Serial No. 122,582. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES NICOLAUS TOLPA, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Photographic DevelopingTray, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to certain improvements in devices employed fordeveloping, fixing, and washing photographic negatives, and has for itsprincipal object to provide a closed tray or box in which the negativemay be placed and developed or otherwise treated in the open air andwithout the necessity of employing a dark room.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracterin the form of a small compact tray or box, which may becarried around with the camera in order that the plates may be developedimmediately after exposure, if desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a closed tray orbox in which the action of the developing or other agent may be closelyobserved and stopped at any desired point and in which the severalsolutions may be placed successively within the tray or box withoutdanger of exposing'the negative to the actinic properties of light.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that various changes in theform,proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the in- Vention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of aphotographic developing tray or box constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same whendisposed in horizontal position for developing a negative.

The walls of the casing are formed for the most part of wood or they maybe of thin sheet metal; butin all cases the inner surface is coated withblack paint, as is usual in cameras, plate-holders, and otherphotographic devices. The casing is divided into two chambers 1 and 2 bya partition 3, the chamber 1 being the developing-chamber, in which theplate is exposed to the action of the developer or other fluid, and thechamber 2 acts as a receiver for fluid at the beginning of the operationor at intervals between the commencement and completion of thedeveloping when it may be desired to examine the plate. In the partition3 is a contracted passageway 4, through which the liquid may flow, andthe chamber 2 is provided with a fillingopening 6, which may be closedby a suitable coverplate 7. The liquid is introduced through theopening6 while the tray is standing in the vertical position, (shown inFig. 1,) and the passage of light-rays through the chamber 1 isprevented by the plate or partition 8, extending almost completelyacross the chamber 2 and forming a continuation of one wall of thepassage 4. The chamber 2 is further provided with a drainage-opening forconvenience in emptying the developer or other liquid, said openingbeing normally closed by a plug 9.

One of the walls of the developing-chamber 1 is formed of a sheet oftinted glass 10, which may be of ruby or other color to prevent thepassage of actinic rays, and during the action of the developingsolution on the negative this sheet of glass forms the'bottom of thedeveloping chamber. The sheet of glass is protected by a hinged shieldor cover 11, which may be adjusted with respect to the sheet of glasswhen the tray is in the position shown in Fig. 1 to permit the operatorto examine the negative, and when the tray is turned to the verticalposition accidental passage of the negative into or through the passage4 is prevented by a number of crossbars 12.

The top of the developing-chamber is provided with an opening for theintroduction of the negative tobe developed, this being accomplished inthe usual manner by the employment of a light-proof transfer bag or box.The open top of the chamber is provided with a cover 13, formed partlyby a sheet of glass 14: of the same or of different color from the sheetof glass 10, but in all cases of such nature as to prevent the action ofthe actinic properties of light on the mega tive. The cover is hinged,as indicated at 15, and is provided with one or more securing devices 16in order to confine it in place, while light is excluded and the passageof the liquid prevented by rabbeting or by the employment of suitablepacking-strips between the wall of the opening and the cover.

In operation the negative to be developed is introduced into the tray bymeans of abag of light-proof material and the cover is then closed. Thetray being placed in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, a developing,fixing, or other solution may be introduced into the chamber 2 throughthe opening 5, and as the interior of the tray is blackened there willbe no danger of light-rays afiecting the negative. The tray is thengradually turned to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 in order topermit the passage of the liquid into the developing-chamber and itsaction on the negative. When it is desired to ascertain the condition ofthe negative and the extent to which it has been affected by thesolution, the tray is raised to the vertical position shown in Fig. 1and the shield 11 opened to a greater or less extent to permit theoperator to look through the two sheets of glass 14 and 10 and examinethe negative. The tray may be employed for any of the variousdeveloping, fixing, toning, or other processes in the treatment ofeither negatives or prints and the several solutions drained from thetray in order to permit the introduction of others for different stepsof the process.

On the hinged cover is a sliding bar 20, having end portions adapted tofit in grooves between the glass panel and the hinged frame, and thisbar carries a flexible shield or cover 21, formed of light-proofmaterial, to act as an additional shield over the glass panel 14 and topermit inspection of the plate in order that the operator may ascertainthe progress of the developing operation. By moving the cross-barlongitudinally of the tray light may be allowed to pass through theglass panel at one side of the bar, while the operator by the employmentof the screening-cloth is enabled to observe the condition of the plateby reflected light-rays, using, if necessary, a magnifying-glass for thepurpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A photographicdeveloping-tray comprising a closed casing adjustable to either avertical or a horizontal position, said casing being divided into twocommunicating chambers of which one forms a drainage-reservoir for adeveloping solution or other liquid and the other a plate-receivingchamber, there being a contracted passage for placing the two chambersin communication with each other, and a plurality of cross-bars forsupporting the negative within the plate-receiving chamber when thecasing is moved to vertical position.

2. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing adjustableto either a horizontal or a vertical position and divided into twochambers of which one forms a plate-receiving chamber and the other adrainage-reservoir, the plate-receiving chamber havingoppositely-disposed translucent walls, and an adjustable shield ofopaque material adapted to cover one of said translucent walls.

3. Aphotographicdeveloping-tray comprising a closed casing adjustable toeither a horizontal or a vertical position and divided into two chambersof which one forms a plate-receiving chamber and the other adrainage-reservoir, there being filling and drainage openings in thewalls of the drainage-reservoir, and an auxiliary guard disposed withinthe drainage-reservoir to prevent the passage of light-rays to theplate-receiving chamber when one or other of said openings is uncovered.

t. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing having apartition 3 dividing the casing into two chambers 1 and 2, there being acontracted passage 4 between said chambers, filling and drainingopenings for the chamber 2, a partition 8 disposed within the chamber 2,a fixed wall 10 of translucent material, and a hinged cover 13 having atranslucent panel 14 forming a part of the chamber 1, a hinged shield 11adapted to cover the translucent wall 10, and guards 12 extending acrossthe chamber 1 at a point adjacent to the communicating passage 4:,substantially as specified.

5. A photographic tray comprising a closed casing having translucentsides, in combination With a fiexible screen disposed at one side ofsaid casing and adjustable to expose a greater or less area of saidtranslucent side.

6. A photographic developing-tray comprising a closed casing havingtranslucent sides, a slidable bar having its opposite sides adapted togrooved portions in one side of the casing, and a flexible shieldcarried by said bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES NICOLAUS TOLPA.

Witnesses:

STANISLAUS MONAROZYNSKI, CASIMIR GIERTOWSKI.

